Wednesday, Jun 22, 2005

A blind Tallahassee man has been accused of having sex with his guide dog. Florida, like many other states, has no bestiality statute - that is, a law specifically prohibiting sexual contact between humans and animals.

Alan Yoder, 29, originally was charged with felony animal cruelty, but court records show that charge was dropped on July 8 and replaced with a misdemeanor - disorderly conduct.

Yoder now is charged with a "breach of the peace, by engaging in sexual activity with a guide dog," according to a court document.

Assistant State Attorney Stephanie Usina, said she could not answer specific questions, including explaining why the charge was lowered to a misdemeanor.

James D. Varnado, Yoder's attorney, said he has filed a not-guilty plea on his client's behalf but declined to discuss details of the case.

"However lurid the allegations may be, we should resist a rush to judgment," he said.

Here's what happened, according to Tallahassee police reports:

Yoder, who lives in a local apartment complex, in June asked a female acquaintance to join him in a sex act with the dog, a male yellow Labrador named "Lucky."

She demurred, but later told a friend about it. That person called a social worker, who called police.

Investigators spoke to Yoder on June 16, who admitted performing certain sex acts with the dog, even going into detail with them, but denied doing others. He was arrested and booked June 22, charged with animal cruelty.

An animal-control officer took the dog to Dr. Sondra Brown, a veterinarian at Northwood Animal Hospital, who could not determine whether the dog had been sexually abused.

Case Updates

Florida prosecutors have increased the charges against a blind man who is accused of raping his own guide dog. The change from misdemeanor to felony status came after animal welfare groups urged state officials to use a more serious rule, even though the Sunshine State has no law prohibiting sex with animals.

Alan Yoder, 29, was originally charged with misdemeanor disorderly conduct, specifically a "breach of the peace, by engaging in sexual activity with a guide dog."

But Assistant State Attorney Phil Smith said new witnesses have come forward, justifying felony charges of animal cruelty and injuring a guide dog, according to the Tallahassee Democrat.

"Enhancing the charges does not change the fact that Mr. Yoder is innocent," James Varnado, Yoder's attorney, told the paper.

Tallahassee police report Yoder admitted to performing sex acts on the animal and willingly gave up the animal before charges were adjudicated

Lucky, the guide dog that was allegedly sexually abused by its blind master, has a new permanent home.

Stacy Cintron, 22, a recently graduated Florida State University student, has adopted the 70-pound yellow Labrador, she said Monday.

Lucky will be going with Cintron to Athens, Ga., later this week. She's moving there to attend graduate school at the University of Georgia. Lucky is with Cintron's parents in Tampa while she's here packing.

Cintron, who worked at FSU's Leach Center, heard about the dog through her boss, who's married to a Tallahassee police officer.

"She said, 'We have to save this dog,'" Cintron said. "So we went to take a look at him."

Lucky's previous owner, Alan Yoder, voluntarily gave up ownership of the dog even though the criminal case against him is pending, said Dee Crumpler, director of the Tallahassee-Leon Community Animal Service Center.

That's where Cintron first met Lucky about a month ago, she said.

"He seemed so sad, but as soon as he got on a leash he was excited and bouncy and ready to get out of there," she said.

She adopted him that day.

"He's fine," said Cintron, who will study clinical exercise physiology and sports administration. "He is very playful; he's 9 years old, but he seems like a puppy."

Florida has no law prohibiting sex with animals, so Yoder, 29, is charged with misdemeanor disorderly conduct, specifically a "breach of the peace, by engaging in sexual activity with a guide dog," according to a court document. In the Tallahassee Democrat's initial story about the arrest, Lucky's whereabouts could not be confirmed.

References

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